19世纪的伦敦以及巴黎是彼此最大的敌人，两座城市之间的竞争也因此诞生了两座伟大的摩登城市。看完这本书，读者会从此对伦敦及巴黎刮目相看！

伦敦与巴黎多年来拥有互相欣赏的历史，但这段历史在18及19世纪的时候最精彩，两座城市同时相争成为世界顶尖的城市。市面上有许多关于伦敦或者巴黎的城市历史，但没有任何书讨论了当时两座城市之间的竞争关系。你知道吗，福尔摩斯其实是法国人，而巴黎的第一个餐厅供应的其实是英国料理！

作者在书中对比了六个不同领域：街头、坟墓、公寓、餐厅、音乐厅以及夜晚的地下世界，看看这两座城市当时的共同处以及差别在哪里，以及最重要的，这些因素如何带领了城市未来的发展。我們现在活在的摩登世界又受到这个时期带来的变化多大影响？

关于作者：

Jonathan Conlin出生于纽约，之后搬到英国，在牛津大学学历史。他之后在Courtauld Institute以及剑桥大学读硕士，在National Gallery London获得博士学位。他写过的书包括The Nation’s Mantelpiece以及Civilisation。他经常受媒体邀请评论博物馆以及国家历史的话题。

好评：

'Tales of Two Cities allows readers to reconsider what "everybody knows". For, with astonishing ease, Jonathan Conlin performs that most useful, and difficult, of tasks: he makes us see the familiar as though it were new.' - Judith Flanders, Sunday Telegraph 

 'In Jonathan Conlin's Tales of Two Cities the little acknowledged but hugely significant histoire croisée of two rival metropoles gets a long overdue airing... The greatest compliment one can pay Conlin's book is that it provides endless food for thought.' - Spectator 

 'Jonathan Conlin's wonderful new book is a fascinating walk through two of the greatest cities in the world. With admirable skill and a painter's eye, Conlin presents the reader with a richly woven tapestry of stories and events that is mesmerizing to behold. The reader will never think of London or Paris in the same way again.' - Amanda Foreman 

 'Conlin provides some striking insights into these two capitals which are, in effect, mirror- images of one another. A thought-provoking glimpse into the history of our own London and its elegant, racy cousin, Paris. Beautifully illustrated and well-written.' - Catharine Arnold 

 'Full of unexpected facts... Conlin's case studies of possible cultural exchange are both concise and entertaining.' - Miranda Seymour, New York Times